


V. CHAVEZ

by ghostfacekillmonger



Series: CHUNK. [5]
Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 05:49:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20522966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostfacekillmonger/pseuds/ghostfacekillmonger
Summary: When the drama at school comes to a head, will Erik still be there to save Chloe?





	V. CHAVEZ

The chatter of the cafeteria induced a special kind of anxiety for Chloe. Erik hadn’t been to school in three days and she felt more alone than ever. Her focus oscillated between watching her food spin in the microwave and checking over her shoulder for the girls. She was a small fish in shark infested waters. This was where she felt the most vulnerable. Like they could attack at any moment.

**Beep.**

“I think you’re done Miss Chávez…”

Chloe was jolted out of her paranoia by one of the gym teachers, a middle aged Puerto Rican man who was way nicer than he should have been to female students.

“Oh…uh, thank you.” The bottom of the container was still cold to the touch but a line for the microwave had started to form. Chloe adjusted the straps of her backpack and started the trek to her seat. Several of her classmates dropped their bags in empty seats, pretending they were saved.

_Fine. That’s fine._

She finally settled at the table that had become her usual hideaway and it gave her a full view of the lunchroom. Back to the wall, face to the doors - just like her brother taught her. Even in his frustration with her, Maceo had managed to cook the previous night and packed her a lunch. He didn’t like the cafeteria food and believed it was poisoning the youth. The first bite of her arroz con pollo was just as she suspected - cold. But it would have to do for now.

_“All the drugs in her family, you’d think she’d hit a pipe by now. Might finally lose some weight.”_

The girls has chosen a table suspiciously close to Chloe and talked louder than necessary. For once, she just wanted to be left alone to eat in peace. She dug in her backpack for her small MP3 player, but as luck would have it, it was dead, too.

_“Maceo fine as fuck though. I’m might have to see what else he selling.”_

Their witch-like cackles filled the lunch room until their ringleader, Jessica, arrived. She slammed her hard plastic tray on the table, a crooked smile stretched across her face.

_“Erik came over last night…”_

She was lying. She had to be. Right? Is that where Erik went when he wasn’t sweet talking Chloe? Had he just added her to his roster of girls? Chloe stirred her rice and tried to distribute the heat. She wanted to shake those questions out of her head.

_“Ooh, bitch! What y’all do?”_

They gathered around, anticipating the details of Jessica’s sexcapades. 

_“I ain’t telling y’all. Y’all nosey as fuck!”_

_“Shh shh shh…here he come now…”_

_“Hey Erik!”_ They all said in unison.

He hugged each of the girls around their shoulders and greeted them individually. Jessica held him a little tighter then the others did. The girls moved their things to make a place for him but he declined.

“You look tired, boo.” Jessica reached out and stroked his arm. “What’s wrong?” 

Erik hadn’t sleep for a few nights, mind stuck on his mother, heart focused on Chloe. 

“You wore him out like that, Jess? Damn.”

“The fuck y’all talking about?” Erik asked with his face screwed in confusion. Jessica had been throwing herself at Erik for a while and embellished their encounter in front her friends, to discourage them from approaching him. The girls kept talking as Jessica tried to cover-up her lie and Erik’s gaze drifted over to Chloe slowly eating her food. Suddenly, he didn’t want to talk to them anymore. 

_“She don’t know - wait, where you going? Erik!”_

“Hey.”

Chloe looked up from her food to an exhausted Erik. He ran a hand along her shoulder before taking the empty seat next to her.  
“Hey…”

“Sorry for keeping you out so late the other night. Your brother didn’t trip on you too bad did he?”

“Could have been worse…you don’t look too hot, though. Everything good?”

The bags under his eyes were prominent like Chloe had never seen before.

“Not really…” He had considered going back out to find his mother, which sparked an argument with his grandmother. He had also considered sneaking into Chloe’s room and cuddling next to her for a night. He chose to watch the sunrise from the traphouse instead. 

Chloe picked at her chicken and noticed Erik didn’t have anything. “You eat already?”

“Um, nah. Didn’t feel like mystery meat today.”

Chloe pushed her tupperware container closer to him. “Have some. It’s not hot or anything but it’s still good.”

“I’m good, Chunk.” 

“Uhn uh, here. We can share.” Chloe filled her fork with rice and chicken and held it out for Erik to take. Instead, Erik opened his mouth and placed it directly over the fork, allowing Chloe to feed him. He kept his eyes on her the whole time, thinking of the kiss they shared on the beach the nights before. He missed that moment already.

The girls watched in the distance and plotted on how to make Chloe pay for interacting with Erik. They believed he belonged to Jessica. Or at least that’s what she had told them.

“This is good as shit. You make this?” Erik took the fork from her hand and helped himself.

“Maceo did. He knows how to cook more than crack rocks…” Erik was stuffing his face. “I said we could share, nigga. Greedy ass.”

Erik filled the fork again and fed Chloe in return.

“I had fun with you…” Chloe confessed between chews. Even though it was clear that they liked each other a little more than friends, she was still nervous about expressing her feelings. 

“Me too. We should go out again…” Erik reached in his backpack to search for his soda. “But like, proper this time.”

“What you mean proper? Like a date or something?” 

“Yeah.” His drink hissed as he unscrewed the cap. He took a long gulp before passing it the her. “Like a date. Get dressed up, eat some fancy shit…”

“What is he doing with her?”

“Thought you said he was with you like last night?”

Chloe could feel the girls staring them down and she refused to look their way. She took a sip of the drink and gave it back to him.

“Why you wanna take me out? What about…”

“I don’t like Jessica. She likes me.” Erik cupped Chloe’s face in his hand squoze her cheeks together. “And I like you.” He hovered close to her face, but was   
startled away as the bell rang for class change. They both packed up their things quickly. Chloe hesitated leaving, not wanting to walk past the group of girls. 

“Don’t dip out today like you usually do. I’ll give you a ride home.”

“That’s okay, you don’t have to…”

“I didn’t ask.” Erik smiled and fell into formation with his boys. “See you at 3, love.”

-;-;-

Chloe couldn’t focus the rest of the day and doodled Erik’s name in the margins of her notebook. When the final bell rang, she rushed to her locker to find Erik waiting on her - smile bright and dimples in full display. “I been craving them empanadas all week.”

Chloe’s rattled with the combination lock. “Is that all you been craving?”

“You getting fresh with me, Chunk?”

She bit her lip and slipped the straps her backpack over her shoulders. “Maybe.”

“Watch yourself, girl.”

They chatted quietly while walking to the parking lot, ignoring the stares and whispers of their classmates.

_“Damn, I ain’t know he was out there like that.”_

_“I thought he was fuckin’ Jessica?”_

_“Nigga, everybody fuckin’ Jessica.”_

Erik’s hand grazed Chloe’s with each step. He debated on holding it outright. He decided to ask questions instead.

“Talk to your mom lately?”

“Nah…” Chloe stared into the distance. They didn’t talk much while she was on the road. Or when she was at home. “Maceo did. I think she in Wyoming or some shit…”

_“Aye, Chloe!”_

The gang was mixed this time - a combination of Jessica’s crew and the male company they kept. They crept out from behind cars like spiders and surrounded Chloe and Erik.

Erik rolled his shoulders back, already annoyed. “What’s up, Jess?”

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

Chloe tugged at Erik’s arm and tried to push through the crowd. “Let’s just go, I’m not trying to do this today.” Jessica grabbed at the sleeves of Chloe’s sweatshirt to pull her away from Erik, only for Chloe to snatch away. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. “Get off me! Get the fuck off me!”

“Bitch, who you yellin’ at?!”

“You!”

Erik forced himself between the shoving match that had started between them. “Chill out with that shit, Jess!” More people stepped into the group - one of the guys tried to defend Jessica, while another grabbed at Chloe’s ass. “The fuck you doing bruh?!”

“Shit, I’m trynna see what that pussy talmbout since it’s got you out here actin’ up. Or you not sharing this one?”

Erik’s backpack dropped to the ground.

“Erik, let’s go please…”

“Please? You teach all your hoes to be this polite, Erik? Heard your old lady was real generous with the cat, too.”  
“You out your goddamn mind nigga - don’t you ever say shit about my mama!” Erik’s nails cut into the palms of his hand as he clenched his fist. He couldn’t feel the pain, only rage. Chloe tried pick up his backpack, but was knocked to the ground by Jessica and her friends. She snuck a hard kick to Chloe’s side while Erik was distracted.

Despite the man in his face, Erik reacted quickly and pulled Chloe from the ground. Chloe was done. No sooner than she was back on her feet, Chloe lunged at Jessica and knocked them both to the ground. Four years worth of anger powered her fists as she landed punch after punch to Jessica’s face. She didn’t know she could hit that hard.

_“The hell y’all kids doing?”_

The security guard’s baritone voice shook the group and most scattered. It took all of Erik’s strength to pull from on top of Jessica, and she didn’t go quietly.  
Chloe kicked and screamed with hot tears streaming down her face. “Leave me alone!” Erik gripped her waist as they neared his car. She was tiring herself out, sobbing into Erik’s chest. “Just…leave me alone…”


End file.
